"We take animals who were going to lose their lives because they were declawed - and we rehabilitate them," Conrad says. "We've had a 100 percent success rate in finding these animals homes once they've been taken out of pain and the infection in their paws has been taken away."

And Vanderhoek took it upon herself to soothe Valentine's troubled mind - which is proving the easiest job of all.

"There's no doubt that a declawed cat bites more often and bites harder because they've been robbed of their primary defense," Conrad explains. "Anytime you have a behavioral problem, you should treat it with behavioral management. Not with surgery.

Instead, she suggests simple alternatives like a scratching post or a toy. Because kittens will be kittens.